Water-meter.



r1.1. WUUDMAN.

WATER aman.

APPLICATION FILED SEP`.23. 914. LQAM. Patented 1F00. ML, 1915 H1. WUUVN,

WATER METER.

XPUCATON FILED SEPT. 23. 2814. Llf U Pulwllwi im. H, 12H6.

BSHEETS SHLE] H. 1. WOUDMAN.

WATER METER.

APPL|CAT|ONF1LED SEPT.23.1914. CMML Patented Deu. 14, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

HAROLD JSEPH WOODMAN, OF IVLITARE, N'Elttdliidl.

WATER-METER.

Application led September 23, 1914i.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD J. WOODMAN, a citizen ot the United States, and a resident of Minatare. in the county of Scotts Bluff and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and improved later-Meter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to water distribution and has particular reference to land irrigation. f

More particularly stated, the invention comprises novel. and peculiar means Jfor automatically, or..y practically automatically, registering the amount of water delivered from an irrigation ditch for individual use by the irrigator.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a simple, and hence easily under stood, mechanism for individual use of an irrigator to enable him in a plain, intelligible manner to understand the character of the service which he is receiving from the organization supplying the water. ln other words, a rotary wheel is placed in the water and is maintained by the water at a definite elevation below the surface thereof irrespective of the rise or fall of the water in the main body or ditch. From this wheel a rotary cam wheel is operated at a relatively slow speed, and this cam wheel checks off the distance interval of water passing through the weir box which is of a definite width.l The cam wheel furthermore deter,- mines the automatic rise and fall of means for registering the depth of the water flowing over the Weir. f]

The details of construction will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters lof' reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in whichm `Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of the water compartments, certain of the parts being shown in elevation; Fig. A2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view of one form of water wheel which may bev used; Fig. t is a horizontal sectional view of the aforesaid cam wheel andparts'assoelated therewith; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line ot Fig. is; Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section on the line 6-6 of Fi Ll' F10". Z is a vertical sectional detail Specication of Letters E'etent.

Serial No. 863,951.

Patented Mee. MC., MM5.

on the line 7-7 of Fig. at; and Fig.` 8 is a At 10 I show a ditch of any suitable eval-1 culated width7 through or along which irrigation water is delivered to and over' a Weir 11, whence such water may be conveyed in any usual or preferred manner to the vplaces of use. Suitably disposed on either side oit the ditch 10 are vertical tanins 12 and13 into which water is delivered from the main ditch through pipes 14.- and titl 'litt whereby the depthgot water in these tanks 12 and 13 is maintained substantially the same as in the ditch. The primary pur'- pose for Ythese side tanks is to determine the elevation of a water wheel 15 within the main body or current et water. This wheel is connectedto the lower end of a vertical shaft 16 rhiminted preferably upon roller bearings within a tubular casing 17. The upper end of the casing is secured rigidly yto a cross bar 18 extending across the top ofthe ditch. A pair of floats 19 and 20 op erating in t-he respective tanks 12 and 13 are connected to the cross bar by means ot rods 21 slidable in fixed guideways Z2 and hav-- ing means at their upper ends i'or varying the etlective length of the rods according to the depth zit-which the wheel is wished to loe operated below the surface of the water. Sets of lugs or similar stop mea-ns 23 are provided Within the side 'tanks at a certain predeterminedelevation with respect tothe crest of the Weir. These lugs limit the downward movement oiE the floats and water Wheel. The floats., it will be understood, rise with the water and hence hold the water wheel at a predetermined depth below the surface thereof. v

At 24 I provide a gear casing ot any suitable nature 'secured upon the cross bar 18. Within this casing are' arranged reduction gears of any suitable nature illustrated as comprising spur gears 25, a worm gear 2G and a worm 27, the worm being secured to the aforesaid vertical shaft. 1G. i tierrihle Sid lib@

A opposite from the eccentric shaft 28 is connected to the last gear element 25 and extends from the gear casing and thence laterally in any suitable direction to a controller casing 29 preferably fixed in rigid position. upon the framework of the ditch adj acent the tank 13. Within the controller casing is a cam wheel 30 shown in this case asbeing arranged in a horizontal plane and driven continuously during the low ot water through the ditch and over the weir, by reason of the connection between it and the flexible shaft 28. This cam wheel is substantially liat or disk-like and has a circular periphery 3l broken only by a. comparatively short space formed by a notch 82. In other words, the pe'iphery 3l may be regarded as a cam of almost circular extent and beginning in a short eccentric portion 33 andending at a shoulder' 34. Upon one side of the main cam body I provide a flange 35 having a circular periphery and provided on its inner portion with an inwardly projecting cam 36. vThis latter mentioned cam begins at a point substantially diametrically portion 33 of the irst cam and terminates not :tar remote 'from the shoulder 34, the direction of rotation of the cam wheel being indicated by the arrow a, F ig. 4. Adjacent the cam wheel 30 and preferably within the controller casing 29 is provided a motor casing 37 when the device is to be used in connection with slow or dead d-itches. Any suitable m0- tor may be provided, such as a spring motor to be wound7 say, every seven or eight days, and including a brake wheel 38 adjacent which is a brake shoe 39 connected to a bar 40. The main motor shaft is shown at 41 and journaled in alinement therewith is a countershaft 42 upon which is fixed a large4 gear 43. A clutch member 44 splined and slidable on the countershaft is adapted to make engagement with another clutchelement 45 secured to the motor shaft, whereby the gear wheel 48 may be driven at times bv the motor. A pinion 4G is mounted loosely upon the shaft 47 parallel to the motor shaft and a clutch member 48 is splined to the hub of the pinion 46. Another clutch element 49 adapted at times to cooperate with the member 48 is secured to the shaft 47 through which a gear 50 may be driven. IThis gear 5.0 is the first element of a trainof reduction gears of which the pinion 5l is the last element. To this pinion is connected a disk 52 having a lug or finger 53 which, at every rotation ot the pinion 51, operates the lever 54 of an automatic counter 55 of any suitable type and adapted to register whole numbers and hundredths. For practical purposes have arranged for the counter to indicate as the unit of measurement hundredths of feet corresponding to the depth of the current of water flowing over the crest et the weir.

At 5G I show an actuator or vertical rack meshing constantly with they pinion 46 and carrying at its lower end a float .77. The means for connecting this I'loat to the rack bar comprises an adjustable nut 58 through which and the variation in the buoyancy ol thc float, a predetermined delicacy oi adjustment may be provided for the operation of the rack as will be better appreciated as this description proceeds. The rack is guided for vertical reciprocations in guides 22 and also by antitrietion rollers 59 within the con` troller casing. These rollers confine the rack to reciprocations in a delinite position. 'lhe face ot' the rack opposite the pinion AIG is provided with a groove (i0 which terminates at its upper end in a short horizontal lgroove 6l. The cliect in length of this horizontal groove 6l may be determined by a set screw (i2 projecting into the same from one side. A bar 63 is guided in a plate 64 of the framework and reciprocates therethrough substantially parallel to theraXis of the shaft 47. This bar carries a finger G5 which is held in the aforesaid grooves GOand 6l by said plate and a lever GG pivoted at 67. A strong spring 68 acts normally upon said lever (3G tending to cause the finger G5 to enter the transverse groove 6l where it will be stopped by the set screw G2. This lever also carries an antifriction roller 69 adapted to coperate with the cam 3G and through which the lever is so swung on its pivot as to cause the finger G5 to pass out of the groove 61.

A lever-70 pivoted at 71 has yoke connections at or adjacent its opposite ends with the aforesaid slidable clutch members 44 and 48. This lever adjacent the clutch member 44 is connected to the aforesaid bar 40. A spring 72 acts upon this lever tending to cause ldie clutch members 44 and 45 to en gage and the members 48 and 49 to separate. This lever also carries an antifriction roller 73 which cooperates with the cam 3l to hold the clutch members 44 and 45 disconnected until the roller 73 passes the shoulder 34 and drops into the notch or depression 32. When the aforesaid stronger spring 68 acts upon the lever 6G to cause thc finger G5 to enter the groove 61, it also causes the lever 70 to swing on its pivot to separate the clutch members 44 and 45 by reason of a shoulder 74 irrespective of the spring 72 and roller 73.

With the foregoing description. of the mechanism. the operation of the device may be summarized briefly as follows: .Vith the rotation oi thc cam wheel in the direction already indicated and operating constantly at .i slow predetermined speed proportional to the velocity of the current, when the roller 73 drops into the notch 32. the spring 72 will cause the engagement of the clutch elements 44 and 45 and simultaneously will start the motor by releasing the brake shoe a' ineen@ wheel, a counter, an actuating member caused to be forced downwardly by the cam wheel at each rotation thereof, and connections between the actuator and the counter to register the extent of movement of the'actuator when the same is returned to normal position.,

4. In an automatic water meter, the combination of a water wheel, a cam wheel, means to rotate jthe cam wheel at slow speed from the/.Water wheel,al counter, an actuator servingto actuate the counter when moved in one direction to an extent proportional to y theextent of movement of the actuator, and

means set in operation by said cam wheel to force said actuator in the opposite direction.

In an automatic water meter, the combination of 'a cam wheel, means to rotate the cam wheelat a uniform slow speed from a current of water' of Variable depth, a counter to sum up the average depths of the waterA atV regular intervals determined by successive .rotations ofv the cam wheel, a rack adapted. to 'reciprocate according to the depth'of the' current, connections between therack and the counter to cause the aver- 'age` ,depths to be added by the counter, andv meanslcontrolled by the rotation of the cam wheelto cause the rack' to, reciprocate.

:v6.In an' automatic Water meter, the combination of a cam Wheel, means to rotate the same at a uniform speed from a current of water of variable depth, a counter, a rack adapted to reciprocate to anextent proportional to thev variations in depth of the water, driving connections betweenthe rack and the counter, said connections including a shiftable clutch and operative to -actuate the counter while the rack is moving in one direction, a lever connected to said clutch, and means connected to the lever to cause it to throw the clutch out of operation when the cam Wheel completes each rotation.

7. In an automatic Water meter, the combination of a cam wheel, means to rotate the cam wheel in a constant manner from a cur rent of water of variable depth, a rack, means to reciprocate the rack in accordance with the variations in depth of Water aforesaid, a counter, means to operate the counter to register the extent of movement of the rack in one direction, and means to force the rack in the opposite direction, said last mentioned means including a lever and a clutch operated thereby at each rotation of the cam wheel. i

8. In an automatic watermeter, the combination of a cam wheel and means to rotate it constantly at a uniform speed from a current of Water of variable depth, a motor, means to automatically hold the motor from operation, an actuator adapted to reciprocate in `accordance with the variations in depth of the water, connections between the motor and the actuator to force the same downwardly against the buoyancy of the water, said connections being made operative by the cam wheel at each rotation thereof,

setting free the motor, means'to stop the motor automatically when the actuator reaches a predetermined point of' movement in one direction, a counter, and connections between the actuator and the counter to register the extent of movement of the actuator in the opposite direction, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have 'signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HAROLD JOSEPH WOODMAN. Witnesses:

THOMAS WRIGHT, W. I. TINGLEY. 

